Summary — S.4559 (2025)
Title: Requires the appointment of a Title VI coordinator at every college and university in the state
Status: SUBSTITUTED BY A5448B (6/5/2025)
Introduced: June 2, 2025
Sponsor (primary): Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky; Cosponsors: Robert Jackson, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Liz Krueger, Robert Rolison, Sean Ryan, Julia Salazar, Lea Webb, Shelley Mayer, Andrew Gounardes, James Skoufis
Purpose
S.4559 would require each college and university in the state to designate a Title VI coordinator. The bill’s intent is to strengthen institutional compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance), improve handling of discrimination complaints, and clarify institutional responsibilities for outreach, training, and federal coordination.
Key provisions (summary)
The bill’s title and legislative materials indicate the following required elements (the complete statutory text was not provided in the materials supplied and S.4559 was substituted by A5448B on 6/5/2025):
- Mandatory designation of a Title VI coordinator at every college and university in the state (public and/or private institutions that receive federal funding would be the primary targets).
- Coordinator responsibilities likely to include:
- Receiving and processing complaints alleging discrimination under Title VI;
- Coordinating institutional investigations or referrals to federal enforcement entities (e.g., U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights or U.S. Department of Justice);
- Maintaining records of complaints and resolutions;
- Developing and delivering Title VI-related training for staff, faculty, and students;
- Conducting outreach and ensuring nondiscrimination policies are publicly available.
- Requirements for institutions to publish coordinator contact information and complaint procedures.
- Reporting and oversight mechanisms (e.g., periodic reporting to a state higher-education agency) may be included.
Who would be affected
- Colleges and universities operating in the state (administration and compliance offices); most directly those receiving federal funds subject to Title VI.
- Students, faculty, and staff, who would have a designated point-of-contact for race/color/national-origin discrimination concerns.
- State higher-education oversight offices (potentially receiving reports or overseeing implementation).
Implementation, timeline & fiscal impact
- Introduced 6/2/2025; referred to Higher Education. S.4559 was substituted by Assembly bill A5448B on 6/5/2025, meaning the original Senate bill was replaced by an Assembly measure (A5448B) for further action. The substituted bill likely contains the operative language moving forward.
- Fiscal/administrative impacts would depend on the final text: institutions might incur costs to designate/staff the coordinator role, provide training, and maintain recordkeeping; costs could vary by institution size and existing compliance infrastructure.
Legislative status & next steps
- S.4559 was introduced in the Senate and referred to committee, then formally substituted by A5448B (6/5/2025). To review current law proposals and operative requirements, consult the text and status of A5448B (the substitute/companion bill) and related companion bills A.5773 and A.5448.
Note: The materials provided include other, unrelated legislative text and PDF artifacts. For the authoritative legal obligations and exact compliance deadlines, refer to the enacted language of A5448B (if enacted) or the final bill text posted by the legislature.
